Institutionalized
by Zaray
Summary: After getting caught by the police, Riku gets sent to a mental institute, where he meets his new room mate. The ever lovable but terribly messed up, Sora Harada. Hiatus.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Main Couple: RikuxSora

If anyone wants to see any other couples in this story, just say it in a review and I'll see if I can make it happen.I'm not making any promises, though.

The first couple of chapters will be flashbacks, leading up to the real story.

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_xXxProloguexXx_

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Four years ago, they came into my room telling me that they had a surprise for me.

_I_'_ll admit that at first I was suspicious since they were never the generous types, but the way they looked at me made me think differently. They were smiling. My parents were smiling _at me_._

_I didn't know how to react to them. To that. I know it doesn_'_t sound like that big of a deal, but it really was. They never smiled at me. Ever. _

_Hell, they hardly even talked to me. I gave a slight smile back thinking that maybe, _just maybe_, things were going to get better between us. That we could stop acting like the broken family we truly were and change._

_That we could heal._

At the young age of twelve, that was all I wanted. For us to heal. It saddens me to remember how stupid I used to be.

_My parents soon left my room, telling me to hurry up and get dressed and meet them in the car. After I got in the car we drove for about fifteen minutes until we reached some sort of pet store. To say that I was confused would be a understatement._

_My mother looked at me from the rear-view window and giggled. It was nice hearing her laugh for a change. The yelling was tiring._

_My father parked the car in the parking lot, saying that he would stay behind. My mother gave him a little glare but got out the car and motioned for me to follow her with a quick but graceful hand movement.I followed her with no objection like the obedient little boy I was._

_"Have you thought about what your surprise is, honey?" _

_Honey? Well, that's different. I guess it_'_s better than being called a brat all the time. I shouldn't be complaining._

_"Um..kinda," I replied timidly. I was afraid of upsetting her. My mother was like a time bomb just waiting to explode.The slightest thing could piss her off and the result of her anger was never pretty. It was a very scarring experience actually. Physically and mentally. To me._

_Yes, my mother took all her anger out on me. It hurt like _hell_, but I took it. Never once complaining about the pain or cruelty. I just figured it was her way of venting. That maybe if I took all of the pain like a brave little boy, she would love me._

_ At least that's what I told myself every time I had to lock myself in the bathroom, tending to the wounds that my own mother gave me._

_My own flesh and blood._

* * *

_The sound of a bell chiming snapped me out of my thoughts. My mother was standing at the entrance of the store, with the door open, waiting for me to catch up. _

_I jogged up to her realizing that I slowed down while I was ranting to myself. I thought she would be mad when I caught up to her but all she did was smile, ruffle my hair and walk into the store._

_She informed me that my surprise would be a puppy since I_'_ve been the most wonderful child a mother could have. Hearing that made me feel good. It also made me feel like this was a dream. I closed my eyes and pinched myself just to be sure. When I re-opened them, I was still standing in the store and my mother was looking at me like I had grown three heads._

_I laughed._

_"Sweetie, mommy forgot her purse in the car, I_'_ll be right back, ok?"_

_Sweetie, now? I think I could get used to this. I offered to retrieve her purse for her but she either didn't hear me or just ignored my question._

_"By the time I come back, I want you to have already picked a puppy, alright?"_

_I nodded and began my search._

* * *

_I stayed in there until it was closing time. She never came back. One of the workers pitied me I guess and offered to take me home. I denied. I just wanted to be alone. I began to stray aimlessly away from the store, my feet taking me wherever the hell they felt like it. My mind was swirling with millions of unanswered questions causing me not to be able to think straight._

_She lied to me. If I was the most wonderful child a mother could have, then why would she leave me in some pet store? None of it made sense and the more I thought about it, the worse my headache became._

_I stopped walking and noticed that I was on my block. Part of me wanted to turn the other way and run and never look back but the other part of me wanted to go into that house and throw a fit._

_I listened to the latter. I stormed up the path that lead to my house and noted that there was a piece of paper taped to my front door._

Dear Riku,

Your father and I have gone away and don't think that we will be returning. Do whatever you feel like with your life, we could care less**.**

_Short, simple and straight to the point. Mothers writing, indeed. I broke down after reading it. Just slumped down against the door and cried my ass off._

_Weak, I know. But what else could I do in my position? _

_I honestly don't know how long I sat there and waited for them, hoping that this was just a big misunderstanding._

_A cruel joke._

Anything but the truth_, was my last coherent thought before I drifted off into a deep slumber that would only hide me from my reality for just a little while longer._

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So..uh..yeah...should I continue or just delete it?

Review please


	2. Downhill from here

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is this cookie (points to cookie)

Thanks to everyone that reviewed!! :)

Well, onto the story. Enjoy!

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_xXx__**D**__ownhill __**F**__rom __**H**__erex__**X**__x_

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_I woke up to the sweet sound of the rain beating against the window. Wait, window? Didn't I fall asleep on the stairs in front of my house?_

_I got kidnapped, didn't I?_

_See, this is what happens when you get abandoned by your parents, locked out of your house at night and then fall asleep on the stairs. You get kidnapped. Alright, maybe I'm overreacting. Or maybe not. I'm not sure anymore._

_My head is killing me and I still can't think straight. And I'm rambling to myself._

_Joy._

_I finally decided to let my eyes roam around the room I was inhabiting and noticed that the view outside looked oddly familiar, which meant that I wasn't far from home. Which also meant that I didn't get kidnapped because it would be stupid to kidnap somebody and then keep them hostage somewhere that was close to where they lived._

_Maybe I should take a look outside to be sure._

_I slowly got out of bed and took a seat on the windowsill. It was still raining, but I didn't mind. I actually loved the rain. It made me feel calm and at peace. It made me forget all of my problems._

_I knew that the feeling wouldn't last forever, though. The rain would stop sooner or later and then I would have to face reality. My life. Maybe whoever lived here would offer to take care of me if I explained everything to them._

_No, I couldn't get my hopes up. I'd just get hurt again in the end. So from that day forward, I vowed I wouldn't believe in anyone but myself. To not be the one depending on people for affection, for help. I would do everything my damn self._

_My way._

_Still, I didn't know what to do. Saying that I'd start taking care of myself was one thing but doing it was another. Sure I could clean up wounds and make a couple of meals, but that wouldn't help me get somewhere to live, or money for that matter._

_No one in their right mind would've hired a twelve year old boy._

_I needed to get out of that house before someone came upstairs. I felt kind of bad for having to leave without at least saying thanks but I couldn't risk them seeing me. They might have started asking questions and I wasn't a good liar._

_Well, not yet anyways. That little characteristic of mine had no choice but to change later on._

_I exited the room and silently crept down to the bottom of the stairs. There was a young girl sitting on a leather sofa watching a horrible excuse for a horror movie. I stood there for a couple of seconds unsure of how I should have approached her._

_Should I tap her on the shoulder or should I just go back upstairs and used the tree outside to escape?_

_I once again, decided on the latter._

_I took one last glance at the girl, who was still sitting comfortably on her sofa obviously engrossed by the movie, and dubbed it safe to begin my ascent back up to the room. I, however, was stopped right when I went up about a good five steps by a quick tap on my shoulder. I was shocked to say the least._

_How the hell did she get from the sofa to where I was so quickly without me noticing?_

_I gulped and slowly turned around to face the stranger. So much for escaping down the tree..._

_I came face-to-face with a teenager that only looked about sixteen. Her eyes were amethyst with a mischievous glint in them. I easily got lost in them and just stood there in front her looking like a fish. She laughed and told be to go sit down in the living room._

Say no.

_I opened my mouth to tell her I had to go but no sound came out. I did that a couple of times and I'm guessing that I resembled a fish more and more. I could practically feel my cheeks heat up. She must have thought that I was some sort of nervous, hormonal idiot._

_"Just go, I'll be there in a sec."_

_She took my hand and gently tugged me down the few stairs I was able to get up and then gave me a playful push in the direction of the living room. I obediently did what she said and took a seat right next to where she was previously sitting._

_Before she gained inhuman-like speed and startled me on the stairs._

_A couple of minutes later she handed me a bowl of cereal, which I took gratefully, and plopped down into the seat next to me. Here come the questions, I thought, but to my surprise she just smiled at me and reacquainted herself with the movie she had been watching earlier. After I finished eating, she took the bowl and placed in gently on the coffee table._

_"So sweetie, what's your name?" She looked at me curiously._

Sweetie, mommy forgot her purse in the car, I'll be right back, ok?

_"Hellooo, Earth to whoever you are! "_

_"Oh, sorry. It's um...Riku,"_

_So much for lying._

_"Hehe, it's alright. I'm Melanie. Nice to meet ya." She took my hand into both of hers and shook. Hard. Kinda felt like she dislocated my shoulder for a second._

_"Well Riku, it really was nice to meet you but you have to go now. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."_

_Yeah, right. I nodded anyways, despite the truth. Its not like she knew saying that would hurt me, would make me remember. I got up and trudged towards the front door. Melanie rushed ahead a little and opened the door for me. I stood at the doorway and turned around to face her. This is where I was supposed to thank her, right?_

_"Thanks, for everything." I attempted to give her a little smile but it just wouldnt come out. It turned into a slight frown instead._

_"Aw sweetie, don't frown!," she cooed, "I'm not trying to get rid of you or anything but I need to go to school now. I'm a junior." She offered me a smile for reassurance._

_"Besides I couldn't say no to you last night, you seemed so...broken."_

* * *

"So that's where you experienced your first case of blacking out?," I nodded. My eyes were stinging, tears threatening to fall at any given moment. I couldn't cry now, though. Crying was useless, it only showed how weak you were.

I'm not weak. I'm not weak.

The psychiatrist sitting in front of me, Demyx, was scribbling down intensely into the little notepad he always carried around. Hes been my psychiatrist ever since I was admitted into this shit hole. Four years.

Four years, and this is the first time he's ever gotten anything out of me about my past.

I remember the first time I met him. He was so damn determined to help me. Still is. Its annoying. I don't need help from anyone, I can take care of myself.

Why can't they understand that?

I can feel him watching me, waiting for me to continue. I'm done, though. That's all he's getting out of me. I finally move my eyes from the spot on the floor that they've been glued to for the past couple of minutes and look at Demyx. He's smiling.

I look away hastily and lay down on my bed, my legs hanging off the side and my arms clasped behind my head, ignoring his presence the best I can at the moment.

He sighs, but remains cheerful. "I'm glad you opened up to me today, Riku."

I'm not. I don't even know why I did it. I was just going to ignore him like I always did but for some reason, words just started pouring out. Words, feelings, secrets. They all just came out.

"I'll come around the same time tomorrow, and maybe you can open up to me some more."

He's smiling. Again. Stop smiling. I hate when people smile. They never mean it. It's just a trick. Something that gives you false hope. I sit back up and glare at him, wanting him to go away now more than ever. He doesn't get the hint. He never does.

"Sure you don't wanna talk some more?" He looks at me with a hopeful glint in his eyes, a smile slowly making its way back onto his face. I just stare at him with an annoyed expression. And just like that, all the hope is gone.

His eyes lose the sparkle they had a second ago and the smile turned into a slight frown.

"Well alright, I'll see you tomorrow, ok?

"Whatever." He looks disappointed at my response. He should be used to it by now, it is what I always say to him. He slowly rises out of the chair he was sitting in and trudges over towards the door. He hesitantly places his hand on the doorknob and looks at me.

"Riku..." I scowl.

His eyes widen for a second before he mumbles a quick," Forget it," and leaves the room.I don't want him to come back tomorrow. Or ever for that matter. But unfortunately, I have no power over when he comes here.

I'm just his patient.

* * *

The next day comes way to quickly for my liking and before I know it, Demyx is sitting in that stupid chair again, grinning.

I should kick it.

"Wanna start where you left off ?"

Well someone looks extra happy today. Maybe he got laid or something. Lucky bastard. He looks crazy grinning like that, though.

Then again, he always looks crazy with that mullet. Since when did those come back in style? Well, I wouldn't know. I've been locked up in here for past four years.

The outside world is just big mystery to me now.

I take a quick glance at the clock and note that this fool is two hours early. What happened to coming the same time you did yesterday? I have a hour left of napping, dammit.

Screw that. I should kick him instead.

"No." I crack open my eye again and examine his expression. He's pouting. He's such a little kid sometimes.

"But Rikuuuu!" Now he's whining. These are the times I wish I owned duck-tape.

"Please, please, please.." Oh my fucking God.

"There's not much more to say." Please believe me, please believe me, please believe me.

"Lies!" Shit.

"After I left Melanie's house I started hanging out with the wrong group of people, did things that I now regret, went to places I shouldn't have and said things I shouldn't have said. The end." I roll over onto my right side so my back is facing Demyx. I'm sure he's upset again.

I bet he'll comment on how wonderfully I did yesterday and ask why I can't be like that everyday.

"Riku, you did great yesterday. Why can't you be that open all the time?"

I'm psychic, I tell you. Psychic!

"Because I'm complicated, Demyx. Now leave me be, my head is hurting again."

"...meanie.." I turn back around to face him with an unreadable expression and point my index finger in his direction, namely his head.

"Mullet-head,"

Ha.

"Hmph!" He stomps his foot and points right back at me. "Maybe I should start sending Xemnas over here in my place. You two seem to get pretty well!"

Oh hell no.

"Are you crazy?! He'll rape me!"

I don't care if I'm yelling now. I _refuse_ to be raped. _Refuse!_

"He won't rape you, Hikari." Demyx actually looks amused now, lowering his finger while his left eyebrow began rising a few centimeters from its original spot into a crooked line.

"That's what you think!"

He's kidding, right? He wouldn't really send Xemnas over here..right? He would, wouldn't he?

Shit.

"Look Ri, you have a choice. Either talk about what happened or face Xemnas. I'm tired of being nice to you and only getting smart ass remarks back."

I stared at him with bewilderment. I never thought I'd see the day that, mullet-wearing Demyx, took charge. I must admit, I'm impressed. Disturbed at how he did it, but impressed. Guess I have no choice if I want to save my virginity.

"Fine, mullet-head, I'll talk." I sighed, feeling my headache grow into a painful migraine.

"Thank you," replied Demyx happily, obviously satisfied with how this little battle turned out.

Oh, of course he's happy now!

...Bitch.

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Uh..did I do better this time?

Well, review please, it makes my day. :)


	3. Acceptance

Disclaimer: Me no own :(

I would like to thank all of my lovely reviewers, all of you made my day :)

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x**X**x_**A**__cceptanc__**e**_x**X**x

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_After leaving Melanie's house, I found myself yearning to go somewhere quiet. A place where I could collect my thoughts without being disturbed. I wandered down the sidewalk, head downcast and hands shoved into my pockets. I started to debate in my mind where I should go, where I could hide for the time being._

_My house sounded like a good idea. My parents were long gone according to letter I was left. The only people that would be occupying my house would be the occasional maids. They never seemed to bother me before, so I doubt they would start now. Nothing has changed to them. My parents were never around before, so they re absence wouldn't be found suspicious. _

_If they weren't already fired that is._

_I began to slow my pace. Going back home wouldn't really do me any good, though. Hurtful memories that I tried to forget would be most likely remembered. I didn't need that type of stress at the moment. I had bigger problems to face. _

_But where else did I have to go?_

_I continued my descent down the empty sidewalk again. The streets looked so deserted, so empty, aside for the occasional parked car in the driveway. I kept walking forward until I heard a child's laughter. I looked over towards the direction I thought I heard the sound come from._

_There, right in the middle of the park, was a child that looked no older than four being pushed by his mother on the swings. They looked so peaceful, so content with just being around one another._

_I wish my mother and I had a relationship like that._

_I leaned forward on the outer side of the fence, facing them. My fingers found their way around two of the cylinder-shaped bars, clasping onto them tightly, my mind drifting off. I gazed out at the two for who knows how long, pretending that the little child was me. A tenuous smile crept upon my face but quickly receded. I swiftly let go of the bars and ran._

_For what reason, you ask? I didn't even know._

_My legs began to move at a rapid speed, pounding hard against the concrete. I could feel my heart beating in my ear drums, blood pumping through my veins. My calves were becoming sore, my head spinning with thoughts, with questions. I could feel sweat beginning to pour down the sides of face, lungs starting to hurt from the lack of breathing. _

_But I didn't care._

_I lost all senses. Every part of my body was acting on its own accord. My brain refused to function, refused to take control. I had no idea what I was doing anymore, where I was going. I ran for god knows how long. _

_I didn't notice the big crack in the sidewalk until it was too late. I felt my body lurching forward but didn't try to stop the fall. I collapsed onto the sidewalk with a __**thunk.**__ Instead of getting up and brushing off the fall like most twelve year old boys would've done out of embarrassment, I just rolled onto my back and gazed into the sky, trying to catch my breath._

_Trying to figure out what the hell I was supposed to do with my life now._

_My eyes stayed glued the sky until they began to sting, tears threatening to fall at any given moment. All I wanted right now was for it rain. I wanted to just lay on the concrete and have the rain pour down on me. I wished to hear the thunder roaring up in the heavens, the lighting striking down from above and the sky turn that gloomy but beautiful dark gray color._

_And I wanted to be in the middle of it all, even if it wasn't the safest thing for my health. It's not like I cared about my well-being now. To hell with what happens to me from now on, just let me enjoy these little things in life that brought some type of comfort._

_These things that made me feel _human.

_I knew I wouldn't be getting my wish anytime soon, though. The sky was a beautiful azure with puffy white clouds inhabiting it. _

_No rain in sight. My heart slumped at this realization._

_I sighed and picked myself up, brushing off whatever excess dirt found its way onto my clothes. My eyes traveled along my surroundings, examining every inch thoroughly. They fell onto a location not too far from where I was standing. I mentally slapped for not thinking of this place sooner._

* * *

_The waves were beginning to crash onto the shore, leaving its wet imprint on the sand. I took a seat close enough to the water but far enough so that the waves wouldn't touch me. It was peaceful here. This was exactly what I was searching for._

_Silence._

_I didn't get to enjoy it for long, though. People started to make their way onto the shore, mostly fisherman's and the uncommon early morning swimmers, to begin their daily routines. Some gave me questioning looks, most not even noticing me. I paid no attention to any of them, though. My mind had drifted off once again._

_Until this one guy came around._

_It was hard not to notice him. His hair was a bright red color, styled into spikes that were just plain odd. I couldn't talk, though. My hair wasn't exactly defined as normal after all._

_He stood a couple of feet away from me, staring out into the ocean. He was holding something in his hand. A small, silver object. It kind of looked like a lighter but I couldn't be certain with the distance between us and all. He reached into his pocket slowly and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Taking out one and quickly lighting it, he brought the cigarette to his lips and inhaled._

_After he blew out whatever smoke he was holding inside of his mouth, he broke his gaze from the ocean and looked at me instead. I could feel goosebumps appearing on my skin, a shiver running down my spine. Why this stranger was affecting me in such a way was beyond me. All I knew was that he making me feel uncomfortable for some strange, unknown reason._

_He began to make his way over to me, each step being a confident stride. A smirk fairly visible on his thin pale lips. He took a seat next to me, eyeing me curiously, cigarette still in hand. He took another drag, exhaling slowly, as if trying to etch the way the nicotine tasted into his memory forever, or until he had another smoke, before crushing it into the sand and throwing it somewhere. _

_We sat there in silence for what felt like an eternity but was really only five or ten minutes, neither saying a word to each other. It was strange to say the least, having some stranger just sit next to you when there was more than enough space for him to sit elsewhere. I thought his presence would bother me more but surprisingly enough, it didn't. Until his eyes found their way back onto me, that is._

_I didn't like being stared at. It felt creepy, like whoever was looking was planning on performing some type of horrendous act on me. It wasn't only this guy that made me feel that way, it was everybody. Maybe I was just being paranoid. I don't know. _

_I had a feeling this guy, whoever he was, could sense my paranoia. Like he could pick up on the fact that I felt nervous under his piercing gaze. I could still see that smirk gracing his lips out of the corner of my eye. I didn't like it. He had no reason to be smirking. At least I didn't think he did. No, I had to stop doubting myself. He didn't have a reason to be smirking therefore he shouldn't be doing it. Right? Right._

_With new found courage I met his gaze, eye to eye, ready to give him a piece of my mind. I opened my mouth to tell him off but closed it quickly because once again, no sound would come out. I think there's something wrong with me. No, there's nothing wrong with me. Why? Because I said so, dammit. And no one could tell me differently!_

_With my courage returning, I tried to say something once again but instead of nothing coming out, I got cut off. By this guy no less._

_"Name's Axel, A-X-E-L, Got it memorized?," he said annoyingly, jutting his thumb out towards his chest, a cat like grin adorning his face. _

_The only thing running through my mind after that was whatever happened to the good old-fashioned 'hi'?_

* * *

Mullet-head over there was jotting down notes into his little notepad again until he heard the "Axel' part. He paused in his writing and looked at me with bewildered expression. His eyes widened a fraction, mouth slightly ajar.

"Axel...you mean crazy pyro Axel?," he stuttered.

"Yeah,...you know him?," Alright, now I was curious. I turned my head slightly to the side, staring intently at him, awaiting an answer.

"Know him? I practically grew up with Axel." Demyx began rubbing the back of neck sheepishly."We were best friends, along with another guy." He allowed his arm to fall back into its previous position, resting firmly on top of his thigh, a tiny smile appearing on his face. His cobalt eyes acquiring a glazed over kind of look, as if reminiscing.

I on the other hand did the complete opposite. Axel never once said anything about someone named Demyx to me. Which I found surprising since we were pretty damn close and all. He was the only person, aside from Demyx, that knew anything about my past. Only difference is that I willingly told that pyro-fanatic about myself, mullet-head over there had to force it out of me by threatening my virginity.

Bastard.

I start shifting around, trying to find a snug position to lay in. After awhile I just quit and decided to sit on the floor, bracing my back against one of the four walls in the room, instead. My sudden movements startled Demyx, snapping him out of his little daydream. He averted his gaze from the spot above my bed that he's been staring at for who knows how long, to where I am.

"Sorry about that." He gives me another sheepish grin, I just shrug in response. It's not that big of a deal. I was actually enjoying the peace and quiet, my break from all that talking. He urges me to continue, telling me that I'm doing really well and that I shouldn't stop again. Then he decided to add on something I would've lived ten years longer not knowing.

"Ya know, I do have old Xemmy on speed dial." Oh that grin, Demyx. One of these days I'm gonna rip it right off your face.

I scowled at him from my position on the floor.

"Aw Ri, don't pout." One day soon.

"I don't pout, I scowl! There's a difference, dammit."

"Riiiight, now go one."

I huffed, crossing my arms, refusing to start. Then that mullet-wearing bastard had to go and pull out his cellphone and make me reconsider what I was doing.

Frickin Demyx.

* * *

_After the incident on the shore with Axel, I accepted the fact that he wasn't a bad person. That he wasn't somebody I should feel nervous around, someone that would hurt me with one of those horrendous acts I was thinking of before. My uneasiness around the guy started to fade once we started talking. He told me a lot about himself_ _and I confined in him the recent events that took place in my life, in return._

_Both of us didn't understand why we opened up to each other but the fact remaining was that we _did._ There was something between us, some type of connection. Nothing romantic or anything like that. But a bond, a trust. Axel sensed it too, actually he was the first one to say something about it, and offered me a place to live and a job. He warned me, though, that the job he was giving might not be anything I would expect and that once I got into it, it would be close to impossible to get out._

_I replied saying I didn't give a fuck, once it would help me look after myself, it didn't matter. He chuckled, telling me that I didn't have to worry about that anymore, that he would take care of me. _

_That I was kind of like the little brother he never had._

_We got on the next train out of town, him paying for both of our tickets. I felt bad having him pay for my expenses but he reassured me that it was okay. I told him I would pay him back one day. He just smiled and ruffled my hair._

_"If you say so, kid."_

_"It's Riku, not kid!" _

_"Whatever you say, kid."_

_I just huffed and sat in one of the seats right next to the window, admiring the scenery. Axel took a seat next to me, complaining about how he should get the window seat instead of me. I didn't pay him any mind, though._

_After his little rant was over, he informed me that the train ride was two hour longs. Part of me was curious to know where we were heading, other part of me didn't care. _

_Once it was out of this town, far away from this place, I was okay with it._

* * *

"Don't gimme that look, Demyx. You know Axel wasn't a bad guy."

I couldn't help but get snippy with him. He shouldn't care about what I did with my life. Just because he's my psychiatrist, doesn't mean he has a right to get all "mother-hen" on me. Besides, if my own mother didn't care about what I did with my life, why should he?

"Still, getting on a train with someone you just met was stupid, Hikari. You could've gotten seriously hurt!"

So what?

"I was 12, Demyx. Young and naive. Why do you care, anyways?"

I wasn't trying to hurt his feelings, honestly. I just didn't like it when people worried or even helped me for that matter. I only excepted Axel's help because I had no other choice. It was either I go with him, or just wander around town until I caught pneumonia and died.

"You're my friend, Riku. Of course I care."

Don't lie to me. You only care because it's your job to care. Because you get _paid _to care. I didn't have the heart to tell him that, though. Because deep down, I knew it wasn't true. It may seem like Demyx and I don't get along with all the name calling and junk, but we do. I know he doesn't like how we are sometimes. I can tell that he hates having to argue and fight with me day after day, but I can't help it.

I just like giving him a hard time. It's entertaining.

"I know, Demyx."

I sighed, averting my gaze from where he was sitting. I couldn't look at him anymore. Not while I was saying something like this. I was known as the most stubborn, rude and cold- hearted bastard in this institute. The guy that everyone hated, everyone said was too messed up to be fixed, to be helped, to be _healed_. The guy that everyone had given up on.

Except Demyx.

He's that only one that stuck with me. Agreeing to something like that wasn't easy but I did it, just because it was Demyx, that mullet-wearing goof. Just because the least I could do for him now, was give him my gratitude.

"I know."

* * *

Better?

Review, C&C, whatever. Just leave me something

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	4. Important Notice

Note-

This story is now on hold for multiple reasons.

The first being that I strongly dislike my style of writing. I won't be giving up, though. Most of the stories I'll post will be one-shots, to further improve my writing skills.

The second being that I don't like how this story is turning out. I never really had a plot, each chapter was just me winging it, honestly. I know that it's very wrong on my part and for that, I apologize to everyone that read it.

Hopefully, I can continue this story later on and be able to write much better, meaningful chapters that I am actually proud of posting.

So from this point on, Institutionalized is on **hiatus** until further notice.

Sorry, everyone. : (

Zaray


End file.
